Struggling to understand the man beneath the charm, newlywed Lydia is forced to confront the forces that have shaped her husband, including his deceptively sleepy hometown of Fawley, magnetic cousin Kyle, and some long suppressed passions. 12,500 first printing."
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Set in the deceptively uncomplicated rural town of Fawley, Virginia, Hall's new work provides good reading for a rainy weekend. The secrets of a small town and the protectiveness of a tormented cousin drive a wedge between Danny and Lydia Crane, whose marriage is already shaky. Lydia, who comes from upper-class Washington, D.C., society, willingly jumps into rural working-class life only to have her love for her husband tried and tested by unfeeling family members and indifferent townspeople. Danny, sensing his only love slipping away, holds fast to unspoken alliances and sacrifices his peace of mind to suit his sadistic cousin, Kyle. Previously praised for A Better Place (LJ 7/94), Hall depicts class and family conflict in a tale that leaves the reader hoping for the best and looking for more by this novelist and television screenwriter.?Shannon Haddock, Bellsouth Corporate Lib. & Busines Research Ctr., Birmingham, Ala.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Class differences are highlighted in this insightful story of a marriage intended by both husband and wife to transcend the limitations and expectations imposed by their respective backgrounds. Wanting to escape the predictability of her wealthy Fairfax, Virginia, family, former law student Lydia Hunt falls quickly and easily in love with seemingly open and unassuming southern Virginia construction worker Danny Crane. As they begin their life together in Danny's hometown of Fawley, Lydia comes face to face with the unhealthy ways in which her husband, his family, and the community cope with years of guilt, loyalties, and fear. Fawley residents are simultaneously repelled and seduced by "progress" in the form of a huge new Quality-Mart being built in their town, and the entire community is horrified by events following the store's opening. Hall writes compassionately without pulling any punches, revealing both the obvious and the insidious ways that racism, homophobia, and even Lydia's own presence affect the dynamics of a community that has held its secrets far too long. Grace Fill
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Ordinary,
By A Customer
This review is from: Close To Home (Hardcover)
Ordinary writing, ordinary plot. Just like a thousand other books published every year.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very complex,multi-layered and emotionally satisfying read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Close To Home (Hardcover)
Lydia, a Virginia high society lady with old world money, has
always behaved the way her parents expected her to act. She even gets
engaged to a fellow blue-blood because his aristocratic bloodlines
would satisfy her family. On vacation in Myrtle Beach, she meets Danny
Crane, a middle class fellow from a backwater town. Shockingly, Lydia
falls in love with Danny. She gives up everything she knows (including
her family) in order to marry Danny and moves to his hometown of
Fawley, Virginia. To Lydia, the town feels like it was trapped in a
1950's time warp.
..... At first Lydia is a town watcher, observing the undercurrents
bubbling below the surface and the secrets that are part of the Crane
legacy. Though Lydia seems to be a peacock amidst a flock of sparrows,
she does not mind being different because she is secure both in the
love of her spouse and her belief that she is fulfilling her destiny.
However, when events of the past begin to affect Danny's behavior in
the present, Lydia begins to look closer at the townsfolk, especially
her husband's sociopathic cousin. Once she understands the hold that
Cousin Kyle has on Danny and, therefore, on her, she knows she must
reevaluate her marriage and how much she can afford to give up in the
name of love.
...... CLOSE TO HOME is an insightful look into the choices people make
and how far they are willing to go to protect a family member.
Ultimately, the novel boils down to choosing between bloodlines or
marital ties. Barbara Hall has written an absorbing book, one that
entertains even as it provokes its audience into questioning some
uncomfortable moral issues. The gothic like atmosphere that engulfs the
town adds a colorful dimension to this compelling tale and turns it
into a rewarding and enriching experience. Fans of Anne River Seddons
and Belva Plain will want to read this novel as soon as it hits the
stores.
.....Harriet Klausner
4.0 out of 5 stars
An old theme, handled well.,
By algo41 "algo41" (philadelphia, pa United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Close To Home (Hardcover)
The book is about a romantic marriage in which one spouse thinks he is marrying above himself, and the other worries she is marrying below herself. Four of the characters are narrators, the married couple, his mother and a spinster cousin. The mother imagines discussing her problems with people like Oprah and Joyce Brothers, and very different versions of their answers. The book has a good plot line, humour, interesting people, both the primary and secondary characters, and does an enjoyable job with small town life. Most of all, the book explores its main theme with honesty, and even subtlety and depth, without ever losing its light touch. Both spouses are in fact good enough for each other. This is a very enjoyable book. For me, it suffers a little from a pat ending.
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